In a known construction of this type (see German OS No. 29 02 318 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,060), the two braking legs are rotatably supported in the end regions of a shaft and are secured against an axial movement. The shaft itself is housed in a bearing block on the upper surface of the ski and is under the influence of a torsion spring which urges the braking legs into the braking position. The upper two ends of the braking legs are connected to a stepping plate hingedly secured through a further axle to a stepping bar. The stepping plate is biassed by a further torsion spring which urges the stepping plate away from the stepping bar. A leaf spring is provided on the underside of the stepping plate, which leaf spring is bent at its two ends and is secured in its center area to the stepping plate. The ends of the leaf spring have the purpose of coupling with clearance the ends of the braking legs to the stepping plate, which ends are bent in two planes which are positioned approximately normally on one another.
As long as the ski is released from the boot of the user, the two braking legs define with the underside of the ski an acute angle. However, as soon as the user steps into the binding, the two braking legs are swung into a horizontal plane, whereby, however, the stepping plate is inclined relative to the upper surface of the ski. If the pressure of the boot onto the stepping plate is increased, the two braking mandrels are swung from their horizontal position, in which the bent segments are outside of the lateral edges of the ski, into a vertically upright position, in which the bent segments are, viewed from above, inside of the lateral edges of the ski.
The two braking legs have available in this embodiment for their support only relatively short bearing holes in the shaft which, during a rough operation during skiing, quickly wear out. Furthermore, practically all elements of the ski brake, as springs, joints, etc. are not protected against accumulations of dirt due to snow and have resulted in a quick wear of the elements. If snow accumulates beneath the stepping plate during operation, the function of the ski brake is jeopardized, since the stepping plate could then no longer be pressed downwardly into its fully retracted position and thus the bent segments could then no longer be moved to their final position wherein they extend inside the lateral edges of the ski and vertically upwardly above the ski.
An object of the invention is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a ski brake of the above-mentioned type, which due to the long bearing recesses for the two braking legs is of an extremely sturdy construction and in which the elements which are necessary for the control are protectively stored and are in this manner not sensitive to the effects of snow.